The invention relates to the field of orthopedic devices and in particular, to a traction device for providing pressure downwardly on the skull for maximum extension of the neck. The unit is designed to reproduce at home, the forces used in clinical research on cervical curve restoration. The device is meant to be inexpensive and able to be used at home by the patient in a vast array of places. Typical usage would be with the patient lying supine with back upon the support block and the traction unit against a wall or other vertical standing structure. The device can restore skull thorax positions without resort to facilities in the office.
The device is able to supply a force to the neck that may be gradually increased or decreased throughout the stretch. It is believed that this addresses the "time dependent" component of spinal posture alterations by a compressive traction force that is delivered to the forehead by a spring loaded and wall mounted device while the thorax is elevated into flexion with the skull fully extended.
In this position, pressure on the forehead eliminates jaw stress and allows unencumbered extension with compression to get a strong tissue stretch. The supine positions and the body support member provide improvement of lateral thoracic and lumbar alignment problems.
The traction unit comprises two tubes with a threaded rod that telescopes inside the tubes for extension. It is believed that the use of the threaded rod allows for gradual increase of the skull extension compression stress while tractioning is going on. The use of a threaded rod also allows for some initial misplacement of the patient visa vis the wall during the initial fitting of the device. For example, as the patient lies down initially, the traction unit is placed between the forehead and a wall-there may be several inches of space between the forehead and the wall. This space may then be bridged by rotation of the tubes which extends them to reach the forehead.
Prior art devices usually have the patient lying down with a harness in connection with weights. Disadvantages to this method include: the necessity of requiring a table or bench; and a large force is added to the underside of the chin which stresses the TMJ (jaw joint) and has been shown to cause problems in that area. The weight used could slip and cause injury to the patient. Poor compression of the skull may result as the harness' main pressure is under the chin and, as this force is applied in a straight line, compression of the skull posterior may not be achieved. Of course, this compression is the major goal of of clinical research extension traction procedures.
Moreover, the weight(s) used in such a system provide a constant force which cannot be varied unless one interrupts the traction. By contrast the applicant's invention allows the force applied to be varied as the user remains in position. In fact, the adjustment means on the tractioning unit allow the patient himself to change the force.
The use of sit down devices cannot mechanically address the thorax extension or posterior translation which nearly always occurs with loss of cervical curves. Also, seated traction devices are very uncomfortable and precludes improving lumbar problems. There are no known devices that place the neck in this outstretched position. The use of the body support member translates and flexes the thorax anterior. It is believed that this flexing helps address the cervicothoracic and thoracolumbar spinal regions.